TWO STUDIES SHOW VITAMIN D MAY LOWER RISK OF DIABETES

Recent studies link the “sunshine vitamin” to possible benefits in a wide range of diseases, stemming from the likelihood of low blood levels of vitamin D leading to metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a complex of conditions such as obesity, hypertension and poor insulin metabolism and is therefore linked to a greater danger of diabetes and heart disease.

A Dutch research team studied 1300 men and women age 65 and older. Overall, nearly half the participants had low blood levels of vitamin D, and 37% suffered from metabolic syndrome.

Co-author of the study, Marelise Echhoff, MD, PhD, of VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam said, “Because metabolic syndrome increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, an adequate vitamin D level in the body might be important in the prevention of these diseases.” Echoff believes the link is plausible because vitamin D deficiency was previously linked to insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion.

In a second study presented at the Endocrine Society conference, Esther Krug, MD, of Johns Hopkins University and her colleagues reviewed medical charts of 124 type 2 diabetes patients, ranging in age from 36 to 89, at an endocrine outpatient facility. Over 90% of the patients were deficient in vitamin D and were more likely to have higher blood-sugar readings.

Only 6% of the patients were taking vitamin D supplements.

All patients received routine primary care before their visit to the endocrine outpatient facility, but the care hadn’t included testing blood levels of vitamin D.